RESTORE ACT Wakulla

PURSUANT TO THE RESTORE ACT AND US TREASURY RULES THE WAKULLA COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (BOARD), APPROVED THE COUNTY’S INITIAL MYIP FOR THE MANDATORY 45-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, WHICH BEGINS ON TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2018 AT 8:00 AM EST AND ENDS ON MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018 AT 5:00 PM EST.

Links to the MYIP and all referenced documents are provided below.

All questions and comments must be in writing and can be submitted by one of the following methods:

ALL COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN JULY 16, 2018, 5:00 PM EST.

ABOUT THE RESTORE ACT - The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) of 2012, established a trust fund for which 80% of the Clean Water Act civil penalties from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill will be distributed to impacted areas for recover. Wakulla County is a disproportionately affected County and will directly receive funds to the County through the Direct Component of the Act, pursuant to 31 CFR Part 34. RESTORE Act funds are considered federal grant funds and all entities receiving RESTORE Act funds must comply with the RESTORE Act. Trust Fund Allocations are available on the US Treasury-RESTORE Act website.

RESTORE Act Eligible Project/Activity Criteria, project must meet one or more of the following:

Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast region.

RESTORE Act Funds – All settlements and penalties by the liable parties (e.g., BP) are paid to the US Treasury and held in Gulf Coast Restoration trust fund (the “trust fund”). NO checks or settlement payments are made direct to any of the recipients named in the RESTORE Act (e.g., Wakulla County). Annual BP payments under the settlement will be paid over 15 years to the US Treasury.

What this means to Wakulla: As of June 30, 2017, Wakulla has $3,182,571.66 available in the trust fund. Over the next 15 years BP will make annual payments into the trust fund and Wakulla’s annual allocation is estimated to be $726,693. Wakulla’s total allocation of the RESTORE Act funds at the end of 15 years is estimated to be $13.7 million dollars.

ACCESSING RESTORE Act FUNDS – The RESTORE Act funds are not released to the County (from the US Treasury) in a lump sum. The RESTORE Act funds are awarded to the County the same as any other federal or state grant. The first requirement is to have US Treasury accepted MYIP and an approved grant application, award and agreement from the US Treasury for a specific project/activity. Funds will be awarded as cost reimbursement or on a draw-down basis to cover existing allowable expenditures.

WHAT IS A “MYIP”? - The MYIP is a document that must be developed and accepted by the US Treasury, pursuant to 31 CFR Part 34. The MYIP must include for each project (aka “activity”) a narrative description demonstrating its:

Need, purpose, and objectives

How its eligible for funding and meets all requirements;

Location

Budget

Milestones

Projected start/completion dates

Criteria to evaluate in success in helping to restore and protect the Gulf Coast Region impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; and

The MYIP must describe how the MYIP was made available for public review and comment for a minimum of 45 days in a manner calculated to obtain broad-based participation from individuals, business, Indian tribes, and non-profit organization and, that each project in the Plan was approved after consideration of meaningful input from the Public.

Material modifications to the MYIP after US Treasury approval are subject to all of the above requirements.

GRANT APPLICATIONS and AWARDS- Grant applications are developed and submitted to the US Treasury for those projects/activities in the US Treasury accepted MYIP. Once a grant application is approved the award and agreement will be issued for acceptance by the County. Only then will the County be eligible for reimbursement of allowable expenditures.